LAUSR

Social assistance is increasingly promoted as a means of tackling poverty However, in established democracies stable delivery has often proved difficult because of tensions between national and local government, the former desiring comprehensiveness and uniformity, the latter requiring flexibility to meet local needs These issues are explored in the context of China, an authoritarian regime and Dibao, the world's largest social assistance system with three questions posed: Do similar tensions exist in an authoritarian regime as in liberal democracies? How are they resolved and what is the nature of the political compromise? How do recipients fare? Policy analysis in a village in south-west China reveals similar tensions A regime, in which local government employed discretion to prioritise social stability over poverty alleviation, has been replaced by an inherently unstable system based on surveillance of officials and local cadres who now prioritise their personal security over the needs of applicants This article is protected by copyright All rights reserved